§ 12. Mr. Garry Allighanasked the Minister of Health what has been the saving to date, or the estimated saving for the year, by reducing the 100 per cent grant to municipal authorities in respect to day nurseries.
§ Mr. J. EdwardsI regret that this information is not available for municipal authorities only. For all welfare authorities it is estimated that the saving in the financial year 1946–47 will be of the order of £1,250,000.
§ Mr. AllighanDoes the Minister realise that, in order to make this saving, municipal authorities like Gravesend are having to close down their nurseries; and how does he reconcile this with the appeal of the Government for women to go into industry, in which case they must have a place in which to leave their children?
§ Mr. EdwardsI ask my hon. Friend to appreciate that at present local authorities not only have the element of their block grant covering this kind of provision, as before the war, but they have also a special grant to meet this expenditure.